Rugby: Wanderers start year impressively

THE hard work Murrayfield Wanderers put in over the festive period paid off on Saturday when they got back in to RBS National One action with a comfortable 47-5 win over Linlithgow.

The Capital side’s head coach Bruce Aitchison worked the players hard in training over the holidays and they also played a number of friendlies and practice matches to stay sharp.

And they came out of the blocks flying in West Lothian, Alex Cox and Barry Turnbull both scoring two tries apiece to set things up. Iain Harper, Nick Hart, Arran Richards, Stuart Young and Niall Watson also went over for tries with Murray Johnstone kicking one conversion.

It was their tenth league win of the campaign, leaves them third in the table and sets them up well for this coming weekend’s encounter with leaders Musselburgh.

Linlithgow will look to bounce back quickly as they are third bottom.

In the other match in the league on Saturday RHC Cougars saw off Langholm 30-10. The result leaves the Cougars in fifth place, one point ahead of Kilmarnock who have three matches in hand.

Musselburgh’s amazing season continued with a 71-5 quarter-final win at Livingston in the RBS Edinburgh Regional Shield. Before Christmas they lost their first league match of the season to Dunfermline, but got back into their stride in West Lothian to progress to the last four.

The two other quarter-finals between Forrester and Edinburgh University Blues and Trinity Accies and Preston Lodge were postponed meaning the semi-finals are likely to be delayed.

In RBS East One the Lismore-North Berwick match was postponed but in RBS East Two Dalkeith secured a comfortable win. The Midlothian men saw off Gala YM 52-7, while Broughton’s encounter with Penicuik was postponed.

RBS East Three leaders Edinburgh Northern drew 10-10 at Walkerburn with Queensferry losing 40-5 at St Boswells.